New Gold Coast SUNS recruit Peter Wright revealed he was elated when he found out he was heading to the Gold Coast to start his AFL career at Thursday night’s national draft.

The Calder Cannons forward/ruckman was taken with the club’s first selection at pick eight, finally realising his dream of landing at an AFL club after more than 12 months of speculation regarding his future.

Wright was no different to all the potential draftees in the room on draft night. He entered the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre as a nervous young man, but departed with a grin spread across his face and the knowledge his AFL journey was about to begin.

“It was a pretty nerve-wracking night,” Wright told SUNS TV.

“I think it was for all the boys that were looking to get drafted. I was just sitting there from pick five onwards just waiting to hear my name called out. I was nervous.

“Once I was called out at pick eight for the Gold Coast, I was over the moon, overwhelmed, just excited for what’s ahead.

“I spent a bit of time with Dom (Ambrogio, SUNS recruiting manager) and Scott a couple of weeks ago. It was a pretty positive interview. So, I thought if I was there I was there, I was a chance of going.”

Wright revealed he first met with the SUNS recruiting team in England during the AIS Academy’s tour earlier in the year. After another more recent meeting with Clayton and Ambrogio, he began to realise he might land at Metricon Stadium.

The 203cm giant split his time between the ruck and in key forward posts during 2014, but he views sees himself as more of a forward who can pinch-hit in the ruck when required.

“I see myself as more of a forward. Always need to do both with my height; it’s an obvious choice to play me in the ruck at times,” Wright said.

“(I’m) looking to do a lot of work with Tom Lynch and Sam Day, boys like that, and hopefully learn a lot off them.”

‘Two metre Peter’, as Wright is affectionately known, will head to the Gold Coast with Vic Metro and Calder Cannons teammate Touk Miller. The pair formed a lethal combination in their underage football days and Wright was thrilled to have a familiar face joining him at the SUNS.

“I played against him since I was eight years old. We used to have a bit of a rivalry. He used to have a big afro back in the day.

“I’ve known him pretty much my whole footy life. He¹s been my captain all through Calder Cannons and at Vic Metro as well. (I’ve) spent a lot of time with him, really love him as a person, he’s a ripping kid.

“I gave him a call after the draft, he was just ecstatic. He’s just really happy to get to a club and he’s happy that he’s with someone that he knows as well.”